447515 Wed Oct 03 18:54:11 -0700 2007 9 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 3002188 Brother in town visiting for the weekend and he is very fond of chocolate truffles. I have been to XOX, the chocolate store in the ferry building(Michael Rechutti) and Bittersweet on Fillmoren on past visits. So, are there any other shops I should visit in my quest to impress him? Where would you go to buy chocolate truffles? Thank you so much. Wed Oct 03 18:54:12 -0700 2007 44946 foodseek 1 3003747 What kind of truffles does he like? The traditional French truffles (like XOX), or the supersize, hard-shelled American truffles? Thu Oct 04 08:57:05 -0700 2007 3002188 10159 Ruth Lafler 2 3003818 Thank you so much for reply. He likes the traditional truffle and has enjoyed the XOX on other visits. There are so many flavors at XOX, do you have a favorite? He loves coffee so I have bought those in the past. Aside for the hazelnut, I have not tried the other liquor flavors. Sometimes the alcohol taste overpowers the chocolate I think. Having said that, I have never tried the hard shelled truffle, where can I find those? Once again thanks Ruth, I had checked the archives but couldn't find a thread speaking to only truffles. Thu Oct 04 09:14:35 -0700 2007 3003747 44946 foodseek 3 3003963 Ciao Bella (on Union Street, or in the Westfield Center) has something called a truffle glace. It is definitely worth trying once, if not many times! Creamy and on the light side on the inside, encrusted in an airy thin crust of sugar. Very unique. Their other selectoins vary. Some I like a lot, some not so much, but I remember the mint truffle being nice. There's always Teuscher's, for champagne truffles but there might be a location where he lives. Thu Oct 04 09:48:04 -0700 2007 3003818 11577 Pei 4 3005286 I think you are referring to Cocoabella Chocolates. They have a wide selection of brands and varieties of chocolates. Some of the ones I like are Knipschildt's Hannah, a dark chocolate filled with liquid caramel and accented with pink sea salt (especially fun when the caramel pours out as you bite into the chocolate ... please see the attached photo), Maglio’s chocolate-covered dried fig stuffed with candied lemon and almonds, and Marquise de Sevigne’s Ganache Orange Amere with a wonderful citrusy note, kind of like tasting real orange juice. I also love Michel Cluizel’s Champignon, a cute little mushroom. They have one with a white stem which is filled with caramel, and one with a brown stem filled with gianduja. The mushroom cap is filled with crunchy almond praline. I like the contrast in textures between the crunchy and smooth. Personally I prefer the gianduja one, but I guess it’s a matter of taste preferences. I haven’t been wowed by all their selections, but the staff are usually pretty helpful, so you can ask them for recommendations. And you can check their website (www.cocoabella.com) to get an idea of their selections. And if you happen to be at the Westfield Center, maybe you can visit the chocolate section of Bristol Farms as well. The French guy who works there knows a lot about chocolate and is great to talk with. He gave me a lil’ lecture about his working experiences with Michel Cluizel in France. He may be able to give you some good recommendations. I've tried a few of XOX's truffles (not the liquor flavors though) and they were all great, but the orange one seems to stick in my mind, so I guess that’s my favorite. Thu Oct 04 14:20:55 -0700 2007 3003963 87028 dreamsicle 5 3005446 OMG, thank you for correcting me. Yes, Cocoabella. I've lived in Los Angeles too long. Ciao Bella is a gelato factory! Thu Oct 04 15:08:35 -0700 2007 3005286 11577 Pei 3 3004032 From XOX, I always get caramel and cognac. The caramel is a whipped, creamy ganache filling (neither liquid nor chewy, and different in texture from every other caramel I've ever had), and the cognac heightens the flavor of the chocolate without overwhelming it. Thu Oct 04 10:01:18 -0700 2007 3003818 44059 daveena 3 3004135 I like the caramel at XOX, although it seems to me they're not as good as they once were (since they moved primary operations to Oakland) -- the texture seems a little waxy and the flavor not as distinct. I'm not a fan of the hard-shelled truffle myself, but that's what a lot of people think of when they say truffle, which is why I asked for a clarification of what you were looking for. If you want to explore that style, there's a Moonstruck Chocolate Cafe in the Marina. Or you can just go to See's and try a couple of theirs -- the dark chocolate chip truffle is a pretty serious hit of chocolate, and I've always liked their lemon truffle. Thu Oct 04 10:22:26 -0700 2007 3003818 10159 Ruth Lafler 1 3003998 What about going to Charles Chocolates and having a treat in the chocolate bar? I don't think they make the best truffles in the world, but the atmosphere could be fun. Thu Oct 04 09:55:26 -0700 2007 3002188 92823 milklady 1 3004136 Try Five-Star Truffles on Divisadero. Very nice, handmade, similar to XOX. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/365290 Thu Oct 04 10:22:34 -0700 2007 3002188 10157 farmersdaughter